


The art of love at first sight

by genrerebel



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Artist Steve Rogers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:41:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25494034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genrerebel/pseuds/genrerebel
Summary: When Thor heads to NYU as a junior, after two years of university at home in Oslo, he meets Steve.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Thor
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	The art of love at first sight

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Kindred Heart [!Moodboard]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21730549) by [DarthBloodOrange (DepressingGreenie)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressingGreenie/pseuds/DarthBloodOrange). 



> No beta, we die like men.

He surveyed the dorm room full to the ceiling with boxes and decided that maybe checking out the common room would be a better use of his time. He’d already said goodbye to his parents who were headed straight to the airport for a flight home. They couldn't stay in the states for long, even though they had left his younger brother there to keep an eye on things. Loki was the one who had a head for business and even though he was the elder, Thor glady recused himself from the seat that would become his on the board. 

It not only gave Thor a break from his father’s stern eye in the big brick building that housed the family business, but it allowed him the chance to come to the states for his third year of university. He’d been happy to spend his first two years at OsloMet, but he’d really wanted to attend NYU. Their english and history programs were rivaled by few and despite being raised by a very business minded family, Thor’s head had always been full of stories. 

He snagged his keys and locked his door, glad that as a junior he’d been able to swing a single. He’d been able to live at home in Oslo and he didn’t really relish the idea of having to have a roommate now. With memories of the campus back home in his mind, he found the common room. It wasn’t super modern like he was used to, but it was clean, and it had one amenity that Pilestredet did not. And that amenity came in the form of a gorgeous blue eyed blond who stood by the doors holding out flyers. 

The guy looked to be around his age, and was only a few inches shorter than him. Though Thor was definitely used to being the tallest around at 6’5’’, this guy was close. He was built strong, and only a bit leaner than Thor himself. Thor found himself frozen for a second before he gathered the nerve to walk over and see just what the guy was peddling. 

“Hey man! Welcome to NYU! You into art?” The guy asked and Thor took the flyer, which was an invitation to an art show put on by students. 

“My mother is a great patron of the arts, I have often been made to go with her to a gallery or two. Are you an artist?” Thor could not help but stare, closer, he could see the green flecks in the blue eyes, and the insane sooty eyelashes that made this man's eyes art in their own right

“Man, that is some accent. Where you from man? And I’m Steve, third year art student.” Steve held out his hand and Thro shook it quick, before letting go before he ended up holding on for dear life. It had been a long time since he had been so taken. 

“Thor. I hail from Norway. I too am in my third year. History and english, but still not sure which will end up as my major.” 

“Norway? Sweet! I’ve not left the US much. Spent a summer in Spain before my senior year of highschool, but that’s it. You should come to my showing and we could grab a beer? Talk a bit maybe? I could introduce you to my friends.” 

“That would be quite nice. Thank you Steve.” He held out his hand again for another shake, “Well met.” He walked away before he asked this Steve to allow him to go to his knees right there. He hurried back to his room, quickly figuring out the time difference so that he could call Sif. He had to tell her about Steve.

Home was six hours ahead so he had to wait until he knew Sif would be done with dinner, like him; her parents expected her to be there for dinner every night. So he works on unpacking until his clock hits 2 pm and then he calls her. 

“Odinson you haven’t even been there a full day, you already miss me?” 

“Sif, I swear to all you hold holy-”

“-you mean my Chucks?”

“Yes, those shoes of yours, I met the man I am going to marry.” He laid back on his still unmade bed and pictured Steve again and sighed. 

“One day Thor, one day.” 

“I am aware, but I am serious. He has these eyes and this smile, and his nose is crooked like it’s been broken more than once. And he’s an artist!” 

“Is he dark to your light?” She asked, he was well aware he had a type, she was part of it. 

“Not at all, that is the thing. He has blond hair, a bit darker than mine and cut short. Blue eyes with a hint of green.”

“So your twin then? That is out of the norm for you.” 

“He’s not much shorter than I and a bit leaner. His handshake is strong and I swear, his smile could launch a thousand ships.” 

“Well I hope it works out for you then. It has been a while since you have been attached and we all know that Bruce was absolutely wrong for you.” It was an old conversation. Bruce had been a visiting scholar, a good bit older than Thor, and much quieter. Their fling had burned hot and quick and Thor had been left smarting when Bruce had ended up hooking up with another visiting American, an engineering professor. 

“I hope it works out as well. I already have tentative plans to see him soon, he mentioned introducing me to his friend group.” He grabbed the flyer which stated the art show was that Friday, only a mere few days before he could see his Steve. Though he might see him sooner if they lived in the same dorms. “Please tell the others that I said hi, I shall call again soon.”   
“Later Thor. Be safe out there in the wild.” She hung up on a laugh. It was common for his friends to consider the states ‘the wild’ since it was so different from what they knew, but Thor was excited. 

He dropped his cell onto his nightstand and stayed laying there for a few minutes before he kicked himself into gear. He had to finish unpacking so that he could find what he needed before his first class the next day. He put on his music, turning it up loud and got to work. 

***

As soon as he had handed out all the flyers, he ran up the three flights of stairs to his room, dragging Sam from his doorway as he went. He flopped onto his bed and threw his hands over his face. 

“Oh shit, that’s his thirsty face.” Bucky called out from under his bed where he was trying to organize his crap. 

“It’s the first day back, how on earth did he already find a new crush?” Sam asked, before he kicked off his shoes and sat on the foot of his friend's bed.

“Guys, you don’t even know. He is sooooo hot. And from Norway. His name is Thor for damn sake!”

“Ah, your very own god to worship, just what you always wanted.” Sam was laughing with his head in his hands. Bucky sat next to him, the two of them used to his theatrics. They hadn’t changed at all since they’d all been friends in kindergarten.

“I was so cool though. Invited him to the show and to maybe have a beer after. Told him I’d introduce him to you two idiots. Plus, I’m pretty sure he’s in this dorm, he came out of the elevator.”

“He rode the elevator?” Bucky squeaked out. Steve laughed, just like always and Bucky made an angry face. 

“Well, I think he prolly doesn’t know it’s haunted, jackass.”

“Stop laughing at me, it ain’t like you didn’t nearly shit yourself that time you got stuck in it frosh year.” Bucky flipped him off and Steve just kept laughing. 

“Ok, fine. So he's in this building and he’s named after a norse god, bets on how soon your drop trou for him?” Sam rubbed his hands together and Steve groaned. He really hated his friend's habit of betting on his lovelife. He didn’t have any problems picking up, and since he’d been at college, he’s sorta gone through a bit of a slutty phase, but he figured he deserved it after finally hitting that growth spurt that put him over 5’7’’. Now he stood 6’ even and he’d outgrown the asthma that had plagued him as a kid, and he knew he attracted both guys and girls. For a while there, he’d had a crush on a girl and he’d thought that maybe he wasn’t gay, but then he realized it was just a competance thing, and he and Pegs had ended up being great friends before she’d gone back to England. 

He brings up the memory of Thor and shakes his head, nope he’s definitely very gay. Gay for Thor specifically. Now he just has to figure out how to see if Thor might be gay for him as well. 

***

The week moves like molasses. Thor is enjoying his classes, glad to finally be getting into the meat of his degree rather than the basic classes he was taking back home. But no matter what class he was in, he had an internal clock in his head counting down until the welcome back art show and the possibility of seeing Steve. He’d seen the blond once or twice going in and out of the dorm building, but both times he’d been late and hadn’t been able to speak to the man. It irritated Thor to no end and made the wait until the art show even more terrible than it previously was. 

When Friday finally dawned it wasn’t bright and sunny but grey and drizzling. Thor groaned and stuck the pillow over his head. He wasn’t fond of the rain in general but on the day he was finally, hopefully going to see Steve, he had wanted it to be a nice day. Now he had to slog through the rain to go to three different classes before making his way back to the dorm to get changed. He’d had Hogun and Loki both on a video chat the night before to pick a suitable outfit. Thor had been to many art shows before but they had all been high end, and he didn't think a suit was suitable for a college art show. 

He yanked on a pair of track pants and an old tshirt before running out for his class. He loved these classes, but he had a hard time concetratign htat mroning, and he almost said ‘fuck it’ to his final class, but he kenw his father would disapprove so he stuck it out. Once he made it back to his dorm, he grabbed his shower stuff and took a long shower, making sure to clean everything. He didn’t think he’d be getting naked that night with anyone, but it never hurt to be prepared. 

Back in his room he dragged on his best jeans and soft grey shirt. He untangled his hair and pulled it back into a low ponytail before grabbing his black boots. The final piece was a leather bracelet that his brother had found for him and the silver ring with his family’s crest on it. He checks the mirror and feels pretty good, so he grabs his wallet and his phone before locking his door behind him. 

His mother had been very excited to hear that he was attending an art show without her forcing, he hadn’t felt the need to tell her about Steve, but she’d made sure he had access to his accounts in case he found something he loved, or thought she might love.   
He found the address easily, it was a small gallery just near the edge of the campus and it was already full. He made his way in, eyes scanning for Steve and barely looking at the art. That is right up until he stopped in front of the most gorgeous charcoal drawing. 

The drawing itself was a man in repose, the lines of his back drawn deep and dark, while everything else was lighter. It was stunning in its simplicity and Thor was already checking the price tag, and couldn’t hold back the grin. 

Steven Rogers, Junior.   
Charcoal drawing.   
75-

He knew he would buy it for his own walls, or to ship back home for his mother to put away for him later. He found the table where a woman was taking down information and he had her swipe his card right then, not wanting anyone to steal his picture out from under him. He took great pleasure in putting the red sticker over the price that marked it sold. He had just stepped back from doing that when he felt a hand at his elbow. 

“I sold something?” Thor recognized that voice and he grinned. 

“I bought something.” Steve’s eyes went wide. 

“You bought my drawing?” His voice squeaked a bit on the end and Thor wanted to just hug him. Their staring was interrupted by a new voice. 

“Aw man, that is a good purchase.” Thor turned to see two men, one dark skinned with a wide smile, and another with tan skin, long dark hair and what looked like a metal arm. 

“Hello, I am Thor. Well met.” 

“Thor, these are my friends Sam and Bucky-” Steve started.

“That’s nice, really.” The one named Bucky said, “can we get back to how tall, blond and foreign bought the picture you did of me?” 

“Ah, you are a muse then? This drawing is quite beautiful.” 

“Muse? You hear that Stevie? I’m your muse.” Bucky was grinning and Steve’s face was turning a lovely shade of red. 

“Shut up you ass.” Steve pushed at his friends shoulder and then turned his back to them, making Thor laugh. “So, you look around? I have five other pieces, and a few of my fellow students are really talented.”   
“Ah, not yet. I was so taken by this drawing that I had to be sure that I could call it mine.” He pointed out the sticker and watched in glee as Steve’s redness traveled to his ears and the back of his neck. “Would you be so kind as to escort me? Or do your friends need you?” 

“Escort him.” Sam made a fake cough and winked at Thor. This made him happy, it seemed that Steve was in fact on his team, as it were. 

“Go on Stevie, we’ll meet you at the bar after this thing closes, yeah? I gotta go find Nat’s stuff anyway so she doesn’t castrate me.” 

“Okay Buck.” Thor watched as they did a complicated handshake and then the other two merged into the crowd leaving Thor and Steve alone. Thor stared for a minute, taking in the freckles he hadn't noticed before and the soft smile. Then he leaned forward to take Steve’s hand, a bold move yes, but one that proved to be welcomed. Steve stepped closer and let Thor hold his hand. 

“Will you show me the rest of your art, Steve?” Their heads were close and Thor could see the other man’s adam's apple bob before he nodded. 

“Yeah. Yes. C’mon. The others are in the next room. This was my showpiece.” 

The rest of the night went amazingly. Steve came alive when talking about his drawings, which were all figure studies. He pointed out his friends, telling Thor the difference in the ones of Sam and Bucky and then showing him the one of his friend Natasha, wearing only her ballet slippers, completely naked otherwise, in a pose that she could hold for an inhuman length of time. As they talked and walked Thor fell more in love than he already was. Now he knew about Steve’s excitement and the way his eyes lit up when he talked about drawing and his friends Thor knew that once he blushed, it stayed, his cheeks red the entire time they walked together hand and hand. 

Thor also got introduced to Natasha, who had Sam and Bucky in attendance near the wall that held her paintings. That was where he found a picture for his mother, an abstract painting of a theater, the stage full of ballerinas, murder in their gazes. Steve had accompanied him back to the buying table to pay for the painting, smiling as Thor shelled out over 200 on the painting he would ship to his mother. 

“You want to come grab a beer with us? The least we could do since you just dropped a ton of cash on us.” Steve offered and Thor, well, he wanted to go and spend more time with Steve and his friends. He quite liked them. But he wasn’t about to let the younger man pay for him, not when Thor was flush and he had no idea of Steve’s financial situation. 

“I will visit the bar with you, but you shall not pay for me. Perhaps when you take me out, just the two of us, then you can pay.” He said it with a wink and then grinned as he watched the blush spread again.   
“You uh, you want to go on a date with me?” Steve asked, nearly tripping over his words. 

“I would quite like that, yes.” 

“Tomorrow?” Steve asked, all but bouncing on the spot. 

“Aye, tomorrow. A date. But for tonight, I am just hanging out with your friends.” 

“Great!” Steve grinned then darted forward and kissed him quickly, leaving Thor a bit stunned. He’d not expected Steve to be quite so bold. They were still in the gallery after all. 

“What was that then?” Thor thoroughly enjoyed making this man blush and smile and stammer. 

“A kiss?” 

“Nay, that was not a kiss. This is a kiss.” Thor grabbed him and pulled him close, kissing him in a manner meant more for a bedroom than public, but Thor was okay with it and by the way Steve was melting into him, he was also quite happy with it. 

“Damn, the norse god has moves.” Thor pulled back as he heard Steve’s friends, but Steve followed him, kissing him once, twice more, soft things that made Thor think of lazy sunday mornings. 

“Yeah he does.” Steve sighed out, leaning into Thor’s side. Thor could handle that, could get used to it easily. He wrapped an arm over Steve’s shoulder and then turned to the intruding party. 

“I hear we are for a drink.” 

“Yeah let’s go. I definitely want to know what I missed.” Nataasha said, before she watched him and Steve with a shrewd eye. It didn't take long for her to give him a quick smile before tugging Bucky out of the gallery, with Sam following quickly behind. 

“Another kiss?” Steve asked, his voice all breathy. Thor studied him a minute, pretty sure he was going to be quite happy with the dynamic they’d already started to set between them. He leaned down and kissed Steve well, leaving the smaller man once again leaning into him. 

“Come then elskling.” Thor smiled at Steve, excited for what came next. “Let us go and have a drink with your friends and then we can discuss our date tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, yeah okay. Let’s go.” Steve smiled, his face still flushed with pink and Thor took his hand and followed him out of the gallery, thinking it was a very good thing he decided to come study in the states. There was no one quite like Steve back home. And there wouldn’t be, until he brought Steve back to Oslo with him. How soon was too soon to mention that he wondered, because if he was to meet Steve’s friends, then he wanted Steve to meet his. And see where he grew up. They had time for that though. They would have a first date and then many more before Thor breached the idea of a trip back home. With that clear in his mind, he followed Steve to the bar, ready to have a drink and get to know those Steve found important.


End file.
